Tanuki In The Trees
by Kamish88
Summary: Watch how history is altered as Gaara joins the Hidden Leaf at the tender age of six. Pairings undecided. Not Yaoi


**Tanuki in the Trees**

Hi and welcome to my first attempt at fanfic.

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto**

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The six year old boy stood, devoid of emotion, in front of the Kage of Suna. His presence had been ordered thirty minutes prior but he had only just been admitted.

As he looked about the sparse office he took note of an oddly dressed white haired man. The man was discussing a treaty sent to Suna by the Hokage of Konoha and the future of the Ichibi no Shukaku's vessel. The man turned suddenly towards the boy.

"Well gaki looks like your coming with me now." The man intoned. The man in question was very tall with a wild mane of white spiky hair. He wore a green kimono coat with green hakama and a red sleeveless overcoat. The hitai-ite adorning his forehead had the kanji for oil carved into it while his hands and wrists were protected by metal plates and a large scroll was on his back. "Get your stuff and meet me by the east entrance in an hour." With that the man turned towards the door and left, the sound of his geta hitting the wooden floor resounding round the room.

Gaara looked back to the Kazekage with a hint anger in his teal eyes. This was the man that had killed his mother and just sent his uncle on a suicide mission leaving him with no-one. He watched as the Kazekage stood up and walked to a set of cabinets, he quickly went through a dozen handseals before rifling the middle draw until he found the folder he was looking for and throwing it at Gaara.

"There are your files. Now get out of my sight you're no longer one of us."

Gaara looked up from the folder to his farther for a minute as a feeling he hadn't felt before filled him. It was relief, the man in front of him no longer had anything to do with him, it was if a breath he had been unconsciously holding for years was released. He left the Kage tower as if in a trance as he made his way to the Sabaku estate. As he entered the house and moved towards his room he was oblivious to the fearful glances from his siblings. He quickly gathered up his meagre amount of personal belongings along with his shinobi equipment.

Gaara then slowly made his way through the winding and windy sand city of Suna. When he arrived at the eastern entrance he found the white haired man waiting for him. His appearance displayed the conflict in his mind. His feet were encased in black military boots, he wore black cargo trousers with a light black t-shirt and mesh undershirt. A large gourd of sand rested upon his back while a rope was looped around his waist like a belt with one end fastened to the rope itself while the other ended in a noose which was wrapped and tightened around the neck of an old brown teddy bear.

"Sabaku no Gaara." intoned the man "You are to follow me to Konohagakure no Sato, where you will join our shinobi academy."

Gaara nodded sharply "May I ask you your name then sir?"

"Very well I shall tell you my true identity." Jiraiya suddenly started hopping on one foot and spinning his hair around "I am the man who has no enemies in the North, East, South and West, not even in the heavens! I am one of the Legendary

Sannin, white haired frog tamer, even a crying baby would stare in awe…The Great Jiraiya."

Gaara simply stared at the man perplexed by how one so powerful, for he had heard of the Sannin, could be so stupid. Jiraiya's head hung then he spun round and called over his shoulder "You better keep up gaki, as I'm not stopping till we reach Tokushima in Kawa no Kuni." before setting off into the desert surrounding Suna.

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It was eight hours after setting off from Sunagakure that they finally reached the border town of Tokushima. The border town was bristling with life, there were people at stalls calling their wares, there were woman trying to entice men into some of the seedier bars and even some men trying the same, there was the more family orientated entertainment of various street acts out to earn some yen off the evening crowd. Unfortunately Gaara missed all this as he had been in a meditative style trance for the past two hours in Jiraiya's arms after collapsing exhausted from walking for so long.

Jiraiya booked them a room at a small inn before setting off to do some 'research' on the local populace.

The following fifteen day continued in much the same fashion with Gaara walking till he collapsed then Jiraiya running with Gaara in his arms till he found the next town or campsite if it got to dusk.

At roughly mid-day on the sixteenth day of travel the two travellers approached the thirty foot high gates of Konohagakure no Sato. Waiting at the gates for them was a wrinkled old man in whites robes with a diamond shaped hat adorned with the kanji for fire on it pulled low so as to cast a shadow on his face.

"Ahh Jiraiya-kun, back already, I take it everything went well?" Inquired the Sandaime Hokage.

"Hai Sarutobi-sensei."

"And you must be Gaara-kun. On behalf on Konoha allow me welcome you to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Now if you would both follow me, we can discuss the journey in the comfort of my office."

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Jiraiya and the Hokage made small talk about the trip and the Kazekage's message on the way too the Hokage Tower and for a short while after they entered the Hokage's office allowing Gaara to observe his surroundings.

As Gaara looked around the Hokage's office he realised it looked fairly similar to the Kazekage's office back in Suna. Gaara had his back to a pair of ornately carved wooden doors, in front of him was a rather plain wooden desk piled high with paperwork, beyond that was a view of the entire village, the walls were all lined with bookcases full of books. His eyes snapped back to attention on the old Hokage as he sat in his seat and removed his hat

"So Jiraiya-kun what did the Kazekage say?"

"He has agreed to cease the skirmishes on our eastern border and hand over Suna's Jinchuriki as a sign of goodwill as long as we refuse all missions from the Wind Daiymo and any other citizen of Kaze no Kuni, also Suna is to become the sole importer of glass and all glass based products for Hi no Kuni."

"Very well I'm sure I can persuade the Fire Daiymo to agree to those terms. Now Gaara-kun, Jiraiya-kun here is going to take a look at your seal then I shall show you to your new home."

"Right gaki, take off your shirt."

The seal lay over Gaara's chest. It was much the same as the Skiki Fuin but most of the kanji around the edge was missing.

"Tell me gaki can you hear the demon at all?"

"If you mean mother then yes she is there to comfort me."

"Right then gaki I'm going to give you some seals to help control the sand better."

Quickly Jiraiya took out an ink pot and brush he had sealed in a small scroll and started drawing extra kanji and symbols all around the edges of the seal. After half an hour he finished.

"I'm finished sensei."

"Okay Gaara-kun could you please wait outside my office for me please."

"Hai Hokage-sama." He quickly turned around and left making sure to close the door behind him.

"So sensei how is my godson?"

"He is doing better than the last time you where here. You should go and get to know him. He needs someone younger than me as a farther figure." The old Hokage sounded reproachful

"I can't get involed in his life sensei. I have to travel to much, besides when could I write your favourite novels if I had to baby-sit some gaki all the time?" With that said Jiraiya leapt out of Sarutobi's office.

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Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of TiTT

Please Read and Review

If anyone spots any errors with my spelling or grammar feel free to point them out and i will correct them.

**Translations**

Kage = Shadow

Suna = Sand

Hokage = Fire Shadow

Konoha = Leaves

Ichibi no Shukaku = One Tailed Shukaku

gaki = brat

Kazekage = Wind Shadow

Shinobi = spy/male ninja

Konohagakure no sato = Village Hidden Among Tree Leaves

Sannin = three people

Kawa no Kuni = Land of Rivers

Sunagakure = Village Hidden in the Sand

Sensei = Suffix given to a Teacher or Doctor

Kaze no Kuni = Land of Wind

Daiymo = Feudal Lord

Skiki Fuin = Dead Demon Consuming Seal

Kanji = Japanese Lettering


End file.
